Yelizaveta Hopatsa completed her first year of clinical psychology studies at seventeen. She loves to read, is meticulously thorough, and has a perfect memory. She came to Poland with her mother for safety and to earn money for their family who remained in their beloved Ukraine. She is our neighbor.
We provided the girls with individual and group counseling, took them on a tour of Poznań, explained the Polish law and tax system, helped them start their own businesses, and finally, invited them to a photo session. “It was the first time I felt like a woman since the war began,” one of the girls said, capturing the essence of our project. We aimed not only to separate them from the war trauma and isolation but to show that they are not anonymous refugees or exiles. They are our neighbors, each with their own story and past.
The AITWAR Foundation’s project “How to Find Yourself HERE” aimed to help Ukrainian women become more active professionally and socially. It was financed by the City of Poznań with funds donated by the nation and government of Taiwan. These are our heroes.
Yelizaveta Hopatsa is one of the 23 sessions completed for @fundacja_aitwar.